RVIA/RVDA Support National Forest Coalition

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RVBusiness
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September 20, 2010 @ 2:07 pm
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Thomas Tidwell, U.S. Forest Service chief.

The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA) and Recreation Vehicle Dealers Association (RVDA) have joined 69 outdoor recreation organizations in the Coalition for Recreation in the National Forests to urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service to allow more outdoor recreation on lands controlled by the agency.

With the Notice of Intent announcing the planning rule process giving scant attention to the issue of recreation, the large and diverse group of recreation organizations wrote to Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell to express their collective concern and to request a meeting for the purpose of explaining their concerns and offering specific recommendations for rule revisions, according to a news release. As a result of that letter, a meeting with Tidwell and top agency leadership will take place on Sept. 27.

“The recreation community position is clear,” said Richard Coon, RVIA president. “Recreation is a key use of national forests under several federal laws. Further, recreation is a primary contributor to the economic viability of communities throughout the nation. And, finally, outdoor recreation in national forests is also an important factor in overcoming lifestyle threats to our national health caused by lessened physical activity.”

The recreation community is also calling upon the Forest Service to include in the rule direction to national forests to be more proactive in managing recreation, and in seeking out partners able to assist in managing and enhancing recreation – including state agencies, organized recreationists and businesses. This proactive approach would reduce needless and inappropriate conflicts among recreational activities in the forests resulting from inadequate planning and management.

For further information on this issue, contact American Recreation Coalition (ARC) President Derrick Crandall, who is heading up the Coalition for Recreation in National Forests, at dcrandall@funoutdoors.com or (202) 682-9530.